CHARLOTTE CHRISTMAS

I’ve been very quiet on the blogging
front over the past couple of months and it’s kind of been pretty similar when
it comes to beauty and style. I’ve probably been the worst blogger as I haven’t
really been trying out many products and since I have been working full time,
I’ve pretty much just been wearing an entire black ensemble (occasionally with
a bright biker jacket for a pop of colour). I’m really happy to be blogging again and I
cannot wait to get trying and reviewing products again as it’s been far too
long!

| B E A U T Y

The H&M
Face Mask Spatula is an item that I picked up on my latest holiday to
Tenerife and it has been an absolute godsend! In the past, I have absolutely
hated applying face masks with my fingers, as it’s a complete and utter mess,
particularly when you have long nails. Ever since getting this Spatula, it has
made applying not only face masks, but also Sudocrem a lot easier to apply
whilst giving a precise application. It’s definitely one of those novelty
items, but one that I actually really like.

I’ve made many spontaneous purchases
over the years, however the Jo Malone
Vitamin E Lip Conditioner is probably, the latest one. In all honesty, I’ve
never spent so much on what is essentially a glorified lip balm, but there’s
something about this one that I just can’t get enough of. There are so many lip
balms that leave that annoying white line on your lips and this one has never
done that – touch wood. It lasts so long, even when I eat and drink and of
course, it keeps my lips and nice, hydrated and chap-free and has replaced a
lipstick and become my everyday lip product.

When it comes to mascaras, I can be
quite fussy in the sense that I know what I like and expect from a mascara. My
newest favourite is the Max Factor
Masterpiece Mascara, which does everything I personally like in a mascara.
It’ lengthens and gives a little bit, but not too much volume to the lashes,
making it a perfect everyday mascara. My lashes are somewhat curly, but short,
however it even makes mine look pretty good (if I do say so myself, which I do)
and when paired with the L’Oreal Telescopic mascara, makes for a great
combination!

Recently, I have somewhat ditched the
brow pencils, and gone back to a good old powder. The Body Shop Brow & Liner Kit is a product that I used years
ago, and over the past few months, I’ve gone back to it and I remember why I
loved it so much. My brows have been in dyer need of a good threading session
and brow pencil require too much work to try and rectify such a mess. I’ve
found that using a powder for my brows, not only give them a more natural and
lighter look, but it takes next to not time to fill them in and then with a bit
(or a lot) of concealer, my brows look a heck of a lot better!

My tried and true moisturiser for dry
and dehydrated skin is the E45 cream, however there is sometimes a period of
time when I don’t need such a heavy-duty moisturiser, particularly in the
evenings. During times like this, I like to use the L’Oreal Hydra Genius, which is still a hydrating product, which
contains one of my favourite skincare ingredients – aloe vera and due to it
having a gel-like formula; it’s nice and light on the skin.

S H O P T H E E D I T

| S T Y L E

My wardrobe hugely consists of black and
white which I love as it’s classic and timeless, however I have been obsessed
with the Misguided Biker Jacket in
mustard as it adds a lovely pop of colour to any outfit and is a complete
statement piece. I think this has been the perfect colour for this season and
it really compliments darker skin or a nice tan.

If there’s one top that I’ve been
wearing a lot lately, it’s the Weekday
Oversized White Shirt. I refer to it as my ‘painters shirt’ as I feel like
an artist when I roll the sleeves up – making it the perfect hybrid of a casual
take on a classic shirt. This has been a go-to outfit recently as I’ve wanted
to get back into my old style of wearing more shirts and this shirt looks great
with my Topshop Jamie jeans, mustard biker jacket and a pair of fresh white
converses

I was looking for the perfect pair of
jeans for the longest time. I’m so particular about the wash and fit of my
denim jeans and when I finally tried Topshop again after years of not wearing
them, I fell in love with the ripped Topshop
Jamie Jeans. They fit so nicely – tight on the ankle, but have a comfy
stretch to them and are a nice mid-wash denim. The distressed accents to the
jeans make it nice and distressed.

For years, I have wanted a classic monogram Louis Vuitton purse and a couple months ago, I finally purchased one to commemorate getting a new job. I have loved using my Louis Vuitton Clemence Wallet in the safran (orange) interior/accents and the interior adds a lovely pop of colour to an otherwise classic purse. I like the change, moving from my Saint Laurent card holder to an actual purse as I tend to carry a lot of (unnecessary) things in my purse.

Havaiana are my absolute favourite flip
flop brand when it comes to flip-flops to the point where I have more pairs
than I care to imagine. My latest pair is the Havaiana Black Slim Flip Flops and I’ve been wearing them non-stop
– before, during and after my holiday. I know flip-flops aren’t the most
practical in regards to footwear, but I’ve tried considerably cheaper pairs of
flip-flops in the past and I literally feel like I’m walking on the ground they
have so little support. Havaiana’s are comfortable and despite being a flip-flop,
have more support than most.

Each year, there are different trends,
outfits and pieces that I tend to gravitate towards and my Summer 2017 style
favourites revolve very much around white cotton. This involves bardot tops,
oversized shirts and of course, a classic white shirt dress. I, personally am
not one for getting a whole new wardrobe for each season, so the pieces that I
do choose tend to be universal, classic and timeless pieces that, when adapted
can be worn in not only different seasons, but also in years to come. That being said, there are a few pieces you can purchase to incorporate into your
yearly capsule wardrobe.

|
SHIRT DRESS

Due to the shirt aspect of the dress,
it’s already a more formal piece of attire, however depending on the occasion and
the right accessories, it can be dressed up or down to make it more formal or
casual. To make it more daytime appropriate, you could throw over a denim
jacket over your shoulders and pop on a pair of causal trainers.

|
DAINTY SANDALS

You can’t really go wrong with a pair of
dainty sandals. They can be worn pretty much whenever and with whatever you
want. I like to think of a lovely pair of sandals as a good alternative to a
pair of ankle-breaking heels particularly if you’re using public transport or going
to a garden party in which the grass-sinking ground is most definitely not your
friend!

Oversized shirts can be pretty hard to
pull off, and I believe it all comes down to the initial shirt and the fit. You
can wear an oversized shirt in various different ways, which will help make it
work for you – all hanging out, tucked in or go for a middle ground of half in,
half out. If you don’t want to fork out for your own oversized shirt, you could
always raid your dad or brother’s wardrobe for one!

|
BARDOT PIECES

There’s nothing like showing some
shoulder cleavage by wearing a gorgeous bardot top or dress. Bardot is one of
those pieces that regardless or shape, weight or size, would look amazing on
anyone! Nowadays, with bardot being a major trend this season, there are so
many variations of the classic bardot top/dress, particularly the incorporation
of bardot and embroidery or a traditional crochet detail on the sleeve or trim.

|
WHITE TRAINERS

If there’s ever a time to crack open a
fresh pair of white trainers, it’s in summer, I always buy a new pair of
converses (or two)! Converses should be an absolutely staple in everyone’s
wardrobe as they can go with so many items. Another classic pair of white kicks
are Adidas Stan Smiths - a classic,
trendy trainer.What are some of your favourite pieces for summer?

As soon as there’s the tiniest bit of
sun, everyone seems to flee and lap up each and every bit of sun. However in
the light of summer, most people will be whisking away to various different
places all over the world and the inevitable novelty for many will be the
notion of getting a sunkissed tan. In all honesty, up until a few years ago, I hated
the thought of getting a tan as I like/d my normal skintone, however nowadays,
there’s nothing I love better than enhancing the melanin look to my skin.
Particularly during my last few holidays, I’ve come leaps and bounds and learnt
how to not only get a tan in the first place, but also how to maintain it for a
considerable amount of time.

|
HOW TO ACHIEVE YOUR TAN

Ironically enough, there are actually
many different ways to achieve a glowing tan naturally. Most people spend hours
upon end sunbathing and up until my latest holiday, I couldn’t think of
anything worse (on my last holiday to Tenerife, I was so exhausted from work
that all I wanted to do was lie in the sun and sleep) because let’s face it,
it’s boring. In the past, the last thing on my mind was to get a tan, however I
always managed to leave, looking extremely dark. The most fun and subconscious
ways to get a tan are to do outdoor sports or to spend lots of time in the water – whether it’s a pool or
the sea. The reflection of the sun on the water means that you are even more
likely to get tanned. I used to use an SPF cream, however I like to glow to the
gods and I now use tanning oil. The Garnier Sun Protective Oil is a good
product if you want glowing limbs and to enhance your chances of getting a tan,
however in a safer way.

|
HOW TO ENHANCE YOUR TAN

I have dark skin, which is already known
for tanning easier than those with a paler skintones. I’m fully aware that
particularly those with pale skin or fair hair find it more difficult to tan as they often just end up in getting sunburnt. Therefore using fake tan is the
preferred option for many. Even though I’m black and I definitely don’t need to
use fake tan, I like to use it on the odd occasion to make my skin look
sunkissed and glowy – it’s like a BB cream for my body. I was recently introduced
to the St. Moriz Advanced Pro Ultra
Finish*. It’s self-proclaimed that it has an Ultra Finish, that you can “achieve a
flawless tan in just 10 minutes” and being a ‘tancealer’ means that it gives “an
instant HD finish, blurring blemishes and imperfections”.

|
HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR TAN

Once you’ve got an amazing tan, the next
step is to maintain it to increase the longevity of your tan. Whilst I’m away
on holiday, I slap on the aftersun and I always get the one with insect
repellent to prevent myself from getting bitten, as a precaution. As I’m all
about having glowy limbs, I mix in my tanning oil with the aftersun, which also
makes your limbs look more toned. Two other important steps when it comes to
maintaining a tan is to keep your skin moisturised to not only prevent your
skin from peeling, but also your skin becomes dehydrated once it’s been in the
sun for long periods of time. The second important step is to exfoliate gently
– emphasis on the gently part. If you exfoliate harshly or with a heavy hand, essentially,
all you’ll be doing is exfoliating the layer of skin that you’ve just spent
ages tanning.

... Long time, no see. If you're an avid reader of my blog, then you will probably have noticed that I've gone a bit quiet on the blogging front - and to be honest, social media in general (except Snapchat, so add me @charlottexmas to see some uncut bits of my life) as there I have had a few realisations and just a change in circumstance.

First things first, I've scrapped my YouTube upload day as well as my blogging schedule. Initially, I was posting every other day on my blog and once a week on my YouTube channel. Due to a particular lifestyle change, it got to a point where I was quickly thinking of an idea for a blog post just to get it up on time, so that I didn't miss a post, however the less carefully curated posts were quite frankly, sh*t and I just wasn't proud of every single post I uploaded. I've decided that I'm really going to live to the whole "quality over quantity" mantra and I'm only going to post as and when I'm genuinely happy to post something that's worth you taking time out of your day to read. I would still like to post at least a couple times a week, so my blog won't be disappearing off the face of the earth! With regards to my YouTube channel, I would like to post at least once a week, but who knows, it could be two, three or even four times a week and on the odd week there may not even be an upload. I know this isn't the best way to grow my blog and YT channel, however I only want to post wholesome content and this will hopefully take the pressure (that I've seem to put on myself) off having to stick to multiple deadlines!

The lifestyle change that has recently happened is that...I've got a new job! Back in February this year, I left my part time job in market research that I had for two and a half years as I just wasn't happy and to tide me over, I worked part time at events which I've done for well over a year now and really enjoy. For some reason, I have a loooong summer - I'm talking from May to mid September (yep, four and a half months off) and my part time job just wasn't cutting it, so I really needed another job. Now, I'm not one for interviews, however it just so happened that the first interview I attended, ended up in me doing a trial shift and then getting the job. If I remember correctly, the position was for a part time post, which I initially wanted as it meant I could still go out with friends and do my blog and YT channel, however I ended up saying that I'd work full time which as you can imagine, doesn't leave much time to catch up on the blog front. I won't be ditching this blog anytime soon, but I just need some time to adjust from working a zero hour contract, to full time - and boy, it's an adjustment!